Natural Selection Devs Working on Underwater Sandbox, Subnautica

Subnautica is preparing to open its construction yards and let you build a sub to brave the ocean's depths.

Tired of aliens vs. space marines? It seems like the crew at Unknown Worlds is too, as the developers are starting to move on from Natural Selection 2 and look into future endeavors. Having already made a game in space, the team is turning around and switching to the (much less touched) opposite setting: the deep sea. Subnautica is in the earliest stages of production, and falls into a genre that Unknown Worlds "does not believe has yet been invented."

Just so we're clear, don't go looking for alpha footage anytime soon. The project is just beginning and, according to the developers, isn't even ready to be announced - but they're just too excited to hide Subnautica from fans. The game looks to be a blend of open-world exploration, RPG, and construction sandbox genres, but the ocean-floor setting puts all those concepts in a new light (or dark, as it were).

"Subnautica aims to elicit a feeling of experiencing the unknown," says the game's website. "A sense that you are exploring an untouched world, not knowing how far, or how deep you can go. The underwater environment will invite you to construct submarines and develop your equipment in order to reach its far flung and diverse corners. Decisions you make about vessel layout, capabilities and structure will affect your ability to navigate hazards and enter the domains of creatures; the likes of which your imagine has never conceived of."

Again, Subnautica is very early in development, but Unknown Worlds wants to keep fans informed every step of the way. Weekly updates will reveal new art, screenshots, and design details as they happen, up through the game's playtesting releases and eventual launch. Stay tuned to the official channels for more info.